


Flannel

by BlackWolfFire



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Car Accidents, Character Death, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, M/M, No Fluff, One Shot, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-23 19:28:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15613338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackWolfFire/pseuds/BlackWolfFire
Summary: Mark's red flannel shirt has always been with him, ever since the day he got it. What is it about the tattered shirt that makes it so special? A comment from a curious, unsuspecting fan unearths memories and secrets that Mark never ever dreamed he would share with anyone. (Implied Septiplier...I ship it, y'all.)





	Flannel

**Author's Note:**

> ORIGINALLY POSTED ON MY FRIEND'S FANFICTION DOT NET ACCOUNT I DO NOT OWN THIS WORK!!!  
> Go check out some of her stuff. Her account is now pretty much inactive, and she won't be updating any more of her already posted works. Sorry.  
> That being said, read, review, and I hope you enjoy.  
> Toodles!  
> ~Liz

"Hello everybody, my name is Markiplier, and welcome back to Reading Your Comments. Now, usually I would pre-select a few to get the video rolling, but today I'm doing it with no previous knowledge of anything. I have no idea what I'm getting into," Mark laughed, pulling up his channel to scroll through recent comment notifications.

 

"Aha! Found one," Mark exclaimed triumphantly, pulling it up and reading it aloud. " _'Mark, how long are you gonna keep your hair dyed?'_ " He glanced at the camera. "Honestly, I have no idea. I really like the red and black going on, it works really well for me. And one of my friends back home in Cincinnati told me that it's the same colors as the college I used to go to, good old University of Cincinnati! Or, more appropriately, the college that I dropped out of."

Mark giggled, unable to keep a straight face. "But no I imagine I'll come across a time when I'll need to go back to my normal hair color when I enter normal society after YouTube.  _ **(A/N: cutting his rant short, but I used exact quotes. All credit to Markiplier!)**_

Sighing, Mark ran a hand through said hair, his floof sprayed wildly across his forehead. "Alright, and onward we go! Found one! Okay...'Mark, why don't you ever change out of your flannel? Who gave it to you?'"

Mark froze and almost lost his composure. Too late to go back, he hadn't realized what the comment had said until he was halfway through. The comment slowly sank in, and he stood rooted to the spot, unable to form words as memories flooded to the front of his mind.

"I...um..." He let out a defeated sigh. "That's kind of...a...long story," Mark said, chewing his lip, holding back his tears. Absently picking at the frayed hem of the red flannel, Mark took a deep breath before recalling the day, almost five years ago to the day.

 

_Mark laughed as Jack playfully shoved Wade into the wall, package pressed tightly to his side to protect it from Wade's retaliation. Jerking back as Wade attempted to shove him, the young Irishman turned to face the older YouTuber._

_"Uh, Mark, this is fer ye. 'm sorry I fergot yer birthday...I'll make it up to ye, I promise," Jack said, accent thickening as he nervously held out the small, lumpy, hastily wrapped bundle._

_Surprised and touched, Mark reached out and gingerly took the package from his friend. "Thanks, Jack. Want me to open it now, or wait?"_

_"Er, uh, whiche'er, I guess. It's up to ye, Mark," Jack said, stumbling over his words, blushing furiously as he stuttered. Mark just smiled, running a finger under the tape messily binding the paper covering the gift, pulling off the silver ribbon around the middle. Enthusiastically ripping off the paper, Mark pulled out the contents._

_His face lit up as he held up the shirt inside, a red flannel with white buttons. "Jack, I fucking love it! Thank you so much!" he cried, pulling his Irish friend into a hug, which Jack happily returned, both men grinning ear to ear. Wade rolled his eyes, though he was grinning as well. "I ship it," he whispered._

_As soon as they disengaged, Mark slipped the flannel on over his black t-shirt, smoothing the wrinkles and striking a ridiculous pose, making all three men laugh. Jack reached into his back pocket, fishing out a quarter, which he flipped in Wade's direction. Mark sent a confused glance Jack's way. "We made a bet yesterday, about whether or not Bob would show up before noon. It's 12:01, so this bastard won. I owe him three dollars, but all I have right now is the 25 cents" Jack confessed sheepishly, a blush creeping back across his face._

_Laughing, Mark shook his head and turned to look at Wade. "What say we text him and have him meet us at a restaurant? I'm starving, and there's no fucking food in this damn house," Mark said, rolling his eyes at Jack, who grinned, blinking at Mark, looking on innocently._

_"Sure," Jack and Wade chorused. A restaurant was decided upon, and a short explanation sent off to Bob, and Mark grabbed his sweater, following the others out the door._

 

Mark let out a shaky breath, smiling at the camera through his tears. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get so fucking emotional about all of this," he apologized, sniffling. "I just...I never thought I'd be telling you all about that...accident. I know we never said anything, but..." Mark's feeble voice faded out. "The truth is coming out. You deserve to know. You already are aware that it was a car wreck. What none of you know, is that I was driving." His eyes glazed over as he slipped back into the memory.

"That car ride was the last time I ever saw Sean alive," Mark whispered.

 

_On the car ride to McDonald's, Jack Mark and Wade joked back and forth, playfully teasing each other. Imitating each other's intros, butchering Jack's high-pitched outro, reliving old PAX moments, and generally goofing off. Mark slowed for the light._

_It took two seconds, maybe less. The light turned green, and Mark carefully inched out into the intersection. One second, the road was empty...the next, the green truck was plowing into the side of their car, flipping them across the pavement into the ditch._

_Mark's eyes fluttered closed as he tried to avoid the headlights burning brightly into his eyelids, blinding him. A sudden thought make him jerk up, pulling free from his seatbelt, crying out as his entire body screamed out in pain. Every nerve in his body felt like it had been dipped in gasoline and set on fire._

_Gritting his teeth, he slowly moved into a sitting position. "Jack? Wade? Sean! Is anyone there? Hello!?" His voice sounded hoarse, and broke off when he tried to yell louder. He winced at the effort, but managed to stand, bracing his palms against the side of the crushed, twisted car. A few feet away, he could see Wade, standing shocked in the middle of the road, staring at the ruined remains of the car._

_Stumbling over, he made sure his friend was okay, guiding him to the edge of the road and lowering him to the grass. Wade didn't respond when Mark waved a hand in front of his face, and Mark bit his lip, trying to think even as his brain fogged over, making it difficult. His ears started ringing. The high-pitched squeal of tires on pavement echoed in his mind, over and over again._

_His eyes flicked over as he caught a glimpse of lime green between the brown twigs of the bushes lining the road. Shoving his way through the sharp branches, Mark emerged to see Sean's motionless form, horribly still, lying on the ground. Even from his position in the overgrown bushed, Mark could tell his friend wasn't breathing._

 

Mark's words broke off with a shuddering sob, his heart breaking once more as every single emotion, all the anger and sadness and fear and loneliness hitting, came crashing down on him without warning. He tried to speak but his voice gave out yet again. "God, I'm-" he choked back more tears as he struggled to continue. "I'm so fucking sorry you guys. I'm...I'm really fucking sorry that...I didn't...keep it together...I just...I know it's been four years...I still blame myself for...the accident. Maybe if I had waited longer...or if I had made us...stay home so we could...wait for everyone to show up...or taken a different route..."

Violently shaking his head, Mark attempted to smile at the camera, failing miserably. He bit his lip. "I...I think his video is over. You all know the truth. I'm sorry. As always, I will see you...in the next video. Buh bye," Mark mumbled, all enthusiasm from the beginning of the video drained from him. The spark in his usually bright eyes wasn't there. Instead, they looked dull and lifeless.

Switching off the camera, he uploaded the video without editing it, not caring if anyone saw his tears, heard his voice crack, watched him fall apart in a way he rarely did, on or off camera.

"Jack, if you can hear me...I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me for that stupid fucking accident. I should have been more careful, I should have look back again...it's my fault you're dead. I loved you so much. So fucking much. I miss you, Jackaboy. It's quiet around here without you yelling at a camera or laughing at some stupid joke I made. I fucking hate that silence, Jack. I really do."

Mark paused in his monologue. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he closed his eyes and sank back against the back of the chair, giving in to sleep...

..and woke in a different world. The brief flash of panic faded as he saw Jack before him. Running at his friend, he slammed into the Irishman, knocking the wind out of him. They toppled into the grass, Mark unwilling to let go of Jack.

Finally, Jack pulled them upright and smiled at his Korean friend. "You kept it," Sean whispered, sounding as enthusiastic as ever, but muted, as is he were speaking through a door. It took Mark a second to catch up.

Smiling a bit, he plucked at the flannel. "Of course I did, Sean. How could I get rid of something so precious? You gave it to me!" he said, trailing off at the end. Jack's sad blue eyes met Mark's heartbroken brown ones, and he held out a slip of weathered cloth, a smile briefly lighting up his innocent face. Mark slowly took it, cupping it in his palms, eyes widening as he recognized it. His head shot up. "Jack..."  _Thank you I love you I'm sorry I miss you so much come back please..._

But he was gone. Mark was alone on the edge of a moonlit field, all the words he never got to say spilling over his tongue. He stared in wonder at the object in his hand, his name neatly printed on it in Jack's loopy cursive.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Everyone brushed it off as a dream, the stress of the video, confessing and reliving memories and old wounds being torn open getting to him. Even Wade didn't believe him, merely saying that memories had been stirred up and his brain was preoccupied.

But Mark knew better.

He looked at the battered silver ribbon on the nightstand, and he smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> Welp, I hope y'all enjoyed. I didn't have anything to do with writing this. She just let me post it here. All credit to her!  
> That being said, thanks for reading, please review, and I hope you enjoyed.  
> Toodles!  
> ~Liz
> 
> To explain the ribbon, it's the same one Jack used to wrap Mark's gift in the beginning of the story. Also, this is my first time writing Wade in a story, so I apologize for his huge lack of character development. I just honestly didn't know what to do with him. Either way, this is obviously AU, and probably extremely OOC.


End file.
